City History

In 1662, King Charles granted a charter to the State of Connecticut allowing the State to acquire three million acres of land. In order to raise funds for its schools, the State of Connecticut sold the land to the Connecticut Land Company in 1795. Nehemiah Hubbard purchased the Hubbard Township property, and made his first sale to a Connecticut surveyor, Samuel Tylee.

In 1801, Tylee, his wife Anna, and his mother-in-law became the first permanent settlers in the Township. Over the following decades, the Township experienced limited growth, but displayed great potential for supporting a community. The country-crossroads nature of Hubbard Township remained until 1861 when coal mines began developing in the area. Continuing through the late 1800’s, European

immigrants moved to the Township, quickly causing the Township to become a village. In 1868, population growth qualified the Village of Hubbard to become a statutorily incorporated municipality.

During the City’s early years, the manufacture of iron contributed to the community’s prosperity. Hubbard also was home to two foundries, a planning mill, two brickyards, a furniture manufacturing company, two breweries, and a bowling alley. Since the establishment of early businesses in Hubbard, the community has continued to grow and evolve not only as a place of residence for 3,300 households, but also as a center of employment for many local businesses and industries.

The City of Hubbard is now called home by nearly 10,000 residents—many of whom are descendants of those early settlers. Although the streetcar line, coal mines, steel mill, and iron works have all faded into a distant memory, their impact on the community has left an everlasting impression.